David Léclapart is the 4th generation to farm his family’s 3 hectare estate, located in Trépail, a premier cru village in Montagne de Reims. He took over the winemaking mantle from his father who passed in 1996, and began releasing wines under his own name in 1998. Within the 3 hectares are 20 parcels of Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay (the dominant grape in Trèpail), and Pinot Noir, all on chalky marls. David was certified Ecocert and Demeter in 2000, making him a very early adopter of chemical free farming within the context of Champagne and its long love affair with industrialized processes. Everything is single vineyard without blending or reserves, and just between 10,000 – 15,000 bottles per year. Native yeasts, enameled steel (defiantly not stainless, as David feels stainless imparts a “negative energy“), small used oak barrels, and full malolactic fermentation are all part of the program. No dosage ever, of course. There is a much stronger emphasis here on the vineyard than the cellar, which is pretty countercultural for a region defined by “house style” and conventional farming, to put it lightly. These are true individualistic expressions of vintage and the south easterly slopes of Trépail and its surrounding forests. - Zev Rovine Selections
